In Roman law, ius singulare ( Latin, "singular law") was a special law that applied to a certain class of persons, such as soldiers or minors, or to an individual, in contrast to ius commune civium Romanorum, the law in common to all Roman citizens. ^[1] In effect, ius singulare was "a technique for incorporating new rules without having to change the old ones." ^[2]

Ius singulare generally conferred an advantage to the group or individual singled out. ^[3] In early Rome, privilegium was a legal enactment that might disfavor an individual or group (the privilegiarii), but in the Imperial era privilegium came to mean "privilege" and was sometimes used as a synonym of ius singulare. ^[4]

As an example, military campaigning removed personnel from circumstances in the city of Rome that facilitated the procedures for drawing up a last will and testament. They were therefore exempt from the usual requirements, and wills written on the eve of battle could be held as valid.^{[ citation needed]}

A ius singulare was meant to advance the public interest as a matter of utility. It required deft jurisprudence that preserved the norms of ius commune so that the exception did not become the rule, ^[5] with a clear understanding that the ius singulare was contra rationem, contrary to standard legal reasoning and thus not precedent. ^[6] The principle of ius singulare was one of several techniques, among them a plethora of legal fictions, that enabled Roman law to evolve flexibly without overturning its authoritative texts or challenging the fundamental traditionalism of Roman society. ^[7]

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